Başak Erten and Sibel Kaya are the co-founders of The Art of Audacity, a cultural events platform that elevates women’s voices through bold conversations, creativity, and community.

Courtesy: Freddie James

Are business relationships the new cheat code?

While the data shows that Women in leadership roles are gradually increasing, with women holding a record-high 29% of senior management roles globally and over 10% of Fortune 500 CEO positions, is that enough?

Companies with higher gender diversity in leadership consistently show stronger financial performance, improved innovation, and better resilience - the question that remains is, why is that number not higher?

With businesses constantly seeking advantages and insights to increase their market share, position, and local/global brand strength, this now presents a unique opportunity to continue that growth at leadership levels.

And the key to that may be in the power of relationships and networking.

At a moment in society when algorithms and personal data increasingly mediate how people connect today, two London-based founders are betting on something far more analog: the power of being in the room, building relationships, and strengthening confidence in their voices.

Başak Erten and Sibel Kaya are the co-founders of The Art of Audacity, a cultural events platform that elevates women’s voices through bold conversations, creativity, and community. Since launching two years ago during International Women’s Month, the organization has quickly emerged as a new kind of cultural gathering space - one where the attendees and participants of panels, workshops, and immersive brand experiences place rising executive women in leadership at the center of the conversation.

Their mission is simple but urgent: create spaces where women’s voices can be heard, celebrated, and connected in ways that feel both meaningful and culturally relevant. All while building new connections and relationships.

With the job market leaning toward ‘New Collar’ workers and LinkedIn’s easy apply allowing one-touch applications where only 3%-13% of workers get a response, the ‘Hidden Job Market’ is being defined as roles being filled through networking and personal referrals rather than public job postings. At least 50% of open roles are hired through referrals vs. postings, with some sources claiming it’s upwards of 70%.

A Chance Encounter Was The Spark

Like many entrepreneurial stories, The Art of Audacity began unexpectedly.

The two founders met during a chance encounter that sparked their relationship, and they both realized this was exactly what was missing today. A physical place to connect with other like-minded professional women. What started as a casual conversation quickly revealed a shared frustration: despite the rise of digital platforms promising connection, many women still lacked spaces where they could gather, network, exchange ideas, and amplify one another’s work through new relationships to get to the C-Suite.

Born was a shared vision—to build a female-led cultural brand that would shape conversations through creativity and community.

The result was The Art of Audacity.

Each event is intentionally designed to feel more like a cultural experience, combining thoughtful conversation with stylized environments, creative brand collaborations, and rising leaders eager to engage.

The response was immediate.

“Our first real ‘aha’ moment came from the speed at which our events sold out,” Başak explained. “Every event was packed wall-to-wall with new faces across the industry. It made us realize something powerful: people want to look each other in the eye and hear their own experiences reflected back to them.”

Building A Cultural Platform For Women

Their strength lies in their complementary backgrounds.

Başak, a creative strategist and content producer, has spent nearly a decade shaping storytelling across radio, podcasting, and live programming. Her work has spanned the BBC and Sony Music Entertainment, where she produced branded podcasts for companies such as Vanity Fair, Bloomberg, PwC, and Nike, creating content that resonates culturally while maintaining brand relevance.

Combining that with Sibel, who brings a blend of commercial strategy and cultural production across radio, photography, and live cultural coverage, including the Dreamville Festival.

Together, the two founders represent a hybrid model increasingly common among next-generation cultural entrepreneurs: equal parts storyteller, strategist, and community builder.

Reclaiming The “Third Space”

The Art of Audacity seeks to fill that gap by creating curated cultural experiences that inspire conversation and connection.

Across major cities, traditional “third spaces”—places where people gather outside of home and work—are disappearing. Coffee shops have become offices. Bars often require spending and are loud. Today, social media has replaced physical gathering - particularly for the generation most impacted by COVID-19.

“There is a serious decline in third spaces in cities around the world,” they note. “If it’s not work, the gym, or a bar, where can people go to meaningfully connect—without the pressure to purchase or perform?”

Since launching, the organization has hosted several sold-out gatherings across London at The Hoxton Hotel, Southwark, the Shoreditch Arts Club, and Everyman Cinema, Bayswater.

Brands have also noticed, as they have attracted partnerships with The Ordinary, Nails Inc, Estrid, Brixton Brewery, and Johnnie Walker, among others.

Looking Ahead

After establishing momentum, the founders believe the next phase could elevate The Art of Audacity into a global cultural platform - with their sights on New York next.

The organization is currently developing a new creative project that celebrates women in the music industry through photography and storytelling, reflecting the platform’s broader ambition to blend cultural storytelling with community-building experiences. They will also be hosting an up coming event at sketch London on June 1st.

For Erten and Kaya, the goal is to create spaces where voices and relationships — particularly women’s voices — are amplified in ways that feel authentic, creative, and collective.

In an era dominated by digital feeds and passive consumption, their bet is that people are ready for something else entirely. And that begins with new relationships.